As Morocco look to write a new page in the history of Arab and African football by reaching the World Cup final, manager Walid Regragui confirmed that the ‘Atlas Lions’ are currently regarded as ‘one of the four best teams in the world’.
The Moroccan national team became the first African team to play in the semi-finals of the World Cup, as they face holders France today, Wednesday, at 19:00 GMT.
“Why don’t we get to the World Cup final? We will show great desire and try to get a surprise,” Regragui asked.
“We have come to this tournament to change mentalities within our continent,” said the Morocco coach.
Morocco had already beaten Belgium, Spain and Portugal on their way to the semi-finals in Qatar.
“Before every game, people thought we were going to be out of the tournament, but we’re still here,” added Regragui, who took over the team in August.
“We are getting closer to our dreams and will fight to get there.”
He stressed that reaching the semi-finals is not enough for him: “We are not satisfied with the semi-finals and with being the first African team to do so. We want to go further,” he said.
He pointed out that some might think, “This is crazy, but a little crazy is okay.”
“We want Africa to be on top of the world,” he said of the team. I know we are not favourites, but we are confident.”
Surprises “Atlas Lions”.
Morocco had their best performance in previous World Cup tournaments in 1986 when they progressed to the round of 16, before losing and not qualifying for the quarter-finals.
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Regragui said he wanted to change mindsets in Africa
In the other four times they have qualified before this year, the Moroccan national team have failed to progress from the group stage.
Morocco were ranked 22nd in the FIFA world rankings at the start of this tournament, but drew 0-0 with 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia and recorded three victories against sides ranked in the top ten.
Morocco beat second-placed Belgium 2-0 to help them win Group F, before beating Spain on penalties in the round of 16 and then beating Portugal 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
Regragui said his team could cause another shock: “We beat some important teams. It’s a knockout game and when you have the will, the commitment and the support of the fans, you can win it.”
And speaking of the semi-final against France, he added: “The more you progress, the more difficult the matches are. We are playing with world champions, world-class players and a very good coach (Didier Deschamps), possibly the best in the world. “
There are concerns about the attendance of some Moroccan stars in the match, as West Ham United defender Nayef Akrad and former Wolverhampton defender Roman Sayes have been injured.
Around 20,000 Moroccan fans are expected at Doha’s Al Bayt stadium to support their team.
“It’s a great honor to play for these fans and make them proud,” said Morocco’s Elias Shaer.
He added, “They are the best fans in the world. We are there to do our best and we hope that in the end we can be the best.”
